HEALTHY WATERS, A PROSPEROUS FUTURE
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The Blue Economy Initiative library contains PDFs from other organizations that help inform the dialogue on water and the economy in Canada. Inclusion of these documents does not constitute endorsement by the Blue Economy Initiative or its partner organizations.
Filter by: All | Blue Economy Initiative Reports | Ecological Goods and Services | Green Infrastructure & Efficiency | Governance and Policy | Water-Energy-Food Nexus | Water Economics | Other
- Blue Economy Initiative Reports
- Ecological Goods and Services
- Green Infrastructure & Efficiency
- Governance and Policy
- Water-Energy-Food Nexus
- Water Economics
- Other
Blue Economy Initiative Reports
This paper is designed to frame and advance a national conversation around Canada’s opportunities to become a global leader in water sustainability and innovation. It identifies Canada’s current water strengths and capabilities, as well as gaps that need to be filled, in order to engender...
Report
The Blue Economy
Risks and Opportunities in Addressing the Global Water Crisis
By David Henderson and Nicholas R. Parker
2012
In this article, David Henderson and Nicholas Parker highlight the importance of developing a global "Blue Economy," a economic paradigm that supports and rewards water sustainability. A number of pioneers have emerged and are already leading the way in the development of new approaches,...
Report
Running Through Our Fingers
How Canada fails to capture the value of its top asset
By Steven Renzetti, Diane P. Dupont and Chris Wood
2011
Running Through Our Fingers is an attempt by two of Canada’s best environmental economists and an award-winning journalist to revisit economist Andrew Muller’s 1985 analysis of the value of water’s contribution to the Canadian economy. This paper is the first of a series of research papers that...
Ecological Goods and Services
Resource
Measuring Water Use in a Green Economy
By UNEP Working Group on Water Efficiency, for the International Resource Panel
2012
'Ecosystem services,' which also require water to function, should be considered within resource accounting approaches to establish the links between resource efficiency, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
This analysis is the first compilation of decades of research on Canadian boreal water reserves from diverse sources. Canada’s boreal is the most intact forest remaining on earth.
Resource
Natural Capital in B.C.’s Lower Mainland
Valuing the Benefits From Nature
By Sara Wilson for the David Suzuki Foundation
2010
This report examines the extent of natural capital — forests, fields, wetlands and waterways — in B.C.'s Lower Mainland region and estimates non-market economic values for some of the benefits these ecosystems provide.
Resource
The Real Wealth of the Mackenzie Region
Assessing the Natural Capital Values of a Northern Boreal Ecosystem
By Sara Wilson and Mark Anielski for Canadian Boreal Initiative
2010
This study constructs a natural capital account for the Mackenzie watershed, including a total economic valuation of the market and non-market benefits of the watershed’s natural capital.
Resource
Ontario's Wealth, Canada's Future
Appreciating the value of the Greenbelt's eco-services
By Sara Wilson for the David Suzuki Foundation
2008
This report quantifies the value of the ecosystem services provided by Ontario's Greenbelt — water filtration, flood control, climate stabilization (i.e., carbon storage), waste treatment, wildlife habitat and recreation.
Green Infrastructure & Efficiency
Resource
Banking on Green
A look at how green infrastructure can save municipalities money and provide economic benefits community-wide
By American Rivers; American Society of Landscape Architects; ECONorthwest; Water Environment Federation
2012
This report focuses on the economic impacts caused by polluted urban runoff, also known as “stormwater,” a significantly growing source of water pollution in the United States.
Resource
Green Cities, Great Lakes
Using green infrastructure to reduce combined sewer overflows
By Ecojustice
2008
This investigative report highlights innovative green solutions that could stop billions of litres of raw sewage from fouling the Great Lakes each year.
Resource
Clean Water, Green Jobs
A Stimulus Package for Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investments
By Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW) in partnership with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, Alliance for Water Efficiency and POLIS Water Sustainability Project
2008
This report makes the case that government spending on sustainable water infrastructure can stimulate the economy and create jobs. The plan focuses on repairing and renewing existing water infrastructure, restoring green infrastructure and conserving water and energy.
Resource
One Water
Supporting Watershed Management and Green Infrastructure in Ontario Policy
By Ontario Water Conservation Alliance
2010
This report documents how green infrastructure, when managed at the watershed scale, can ensure sustainable water resources for current and future generations of Ontarians.
Resource
Water Works
Rebuilding Infrastructure, Creating Jobs, Greening the Environment
By Green for All, in partnership with American Rivers, Pacific Institute, and the Economic Policy Institute
2011
This report considers the benefits of an investment of $188.4 billion in water infrastructure—the amount the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates would be required to manage stormwater and preserve water quality.
Download Complete Report. 16.4MB Governance and Policy
This policy primer was developed as a tool for Improved Water Governance for Watersheds. The purpose of the primer is to explain the concept of water security and illustrate how it can be put to use in Canada.
Resource
Changing Currents
Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada's Natural Resource Sectors
By the National Roundtable on Environment and Economy (NRTEE)
2010
With development of the natural resource sectors on the rise, this NRTEE report considers whether Canada has enough water to support economic growth while maintaining the health of our country’s ecosystems.
This report, prepared in collaboration with several key organizations, provides a compelling vision and a road map intended to enable Ontario to become a leader in innovative technologies and sustainable water solutions.
With increasing food and energy prices, a growing world population and the potential effects of climate change, water—and how it is managed—is more important than ever.
Resource
Charting Our Water Future
Economic frameworks to inform decision-making
By 2030 Water Resources Group
2009
In just 20 years demand for water will be 40 per cent higher than it is today, and more than 50 per cent higher in the most rapidly developing countries.
Water-Energy-Food Nexus
Resource
The Water-Energy Nexus
Linking Water and Energy in Ontario Policy
By the Ontario Water Conservation Alliance
2010
This report documents the misunderstood costs and unrealized opportunities that would result from a better understanding of the links between water use and energy, and offers reasonable, easy-to-implement recommendations on how to benefit from this new understanding.
Water Economics
Resource
Green Accounting and Data Improvement for Water Resources
By James Winpenny, United Nations World Water Assessment Program, UNESCO
September 2012
The report highlights the importance of water data for improving decision making in addressing a number of challenges including: water for food production; urban water supply; wastewater treatment; businesses’ water footprint; and climate change impacts, among other challenges.
Resource
Moving to Action
NRT National Water Forum Report
By National Round Table on Economy and Environment (NRT)
2012
In January 2012, NRT held a National Water Forum that brought together experts from across Canada to discuss recommendations from an earlier document Charting a Course: Sustainable Water Use by Canada’s Natural Resource Sectors, and to provide advice on how these recommendations could...
Resource
Resource Revolution
Meeting the world's energy, materials, food and water needs
By McKinsey Global Institute
2011
This comprehensive analysis by McKinsey & Company anticipates global demands on water withdrawals to increase from 4,500 billion cubic metres in 2010 to 6,350 billion cubic metres in 2030, with 65% of this incremental increase attributed to increased agricultural...
Resource
Charting a Course
Sustainable Water Use by Canada's Resource Sectors
By the National Round Table on Environment and Economy (NRT)
2011
This new report by the National Round Table calls for a “fresh approach to water supply management for natural resource sectors” in Canada. It provides analysis of trends in water use and intensity for Canada’s natural resource sectors and projections to 2030.
Resource
Worth Every Penny
A Primer on Conservation-Oriented Water Pricing
By the Polis Project on Ecological Governance
2010
This primer provides an overview of conservation-oriented water pricing for decision makers, water utilities and service providers in Canada.
Resource
Assessing Water Risk
A Practical Approach for Financial Institutions
By World Wildlife Fund International and German development bank DEG
2011
Out of more than 300 companies studied as part of the report, 191 showed high potential business risks related to freshwater. The newly developed water risk filter system in the report is intended to identify water-related risks at an early point in time so...
Resource
Global Risks Sixth Edition
An Initiative of the Risk Response Network
By World Economic Forum
2011
This sixth edition report aims to enhance understanding of how a comprehensive set of global risks are evolving, how their interaction impacts a variety of stakeholders, and what trade-offs are involved in managing them.
Building on conversations from the Inaugural Canadian Water Summit, The Innovolve Group, with the support of Industry Canada, RBC, Transcontinental and Cascades, authored this report to help businesses and policymakers plan for a future where water will play an increasingly important role
Resource
Economic Instruments for Water Management in Canada
Case Studies and Barriers to Implementation
By Sustainable Prosperity
2011
Resource
Going With the Flow?
Evolving Water Allocations and the Potential and Limits of Water Markets in Canada
By Oliver M. Brandes, Linda Nowlan, and Katie Paris for the Conference Board of Canada
2008
This report describes some of the key mechanisms available to allocate water in times of scarcity, with a particular focus on markets and market mechanisms.
Resource
Economic Value of Protecting the Great Lakes
Literature Review Report
By Marbek Consultants for the Ontario Ministry of Environment
2010
This report is intended to provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature relating to the economic benefits the Great Lakes provide to society.
Other
Report
Wastewater Win-Win
An unlikely resource could cut costs for industry and have municipalities seeing dollar signs
By Kerry Freek
October 2012
This third article in the series of BEI spotlight series discusses the opportunities and benefits of wastewater reuse.
Report
The Perfect Storm
Furious storms and more frequent flooding are causing water damage insurance claims to skyrocket. How can cash-strapped municipalities compensate for insufficient infrastructure? The answer may be easier (and cheaper) than you think.
By Kerry Freek
September 14, 2012
This 2nd article in the BEI spotlight series highlights the benefits of low-impact development in managing stormwater.
Report
To Market We Go
Water quality trading treats pollution as a commodity that could yield significant environmental—and economic—results
By Kerry Freek
August 28, 2012
This article is the first in a Blue Economy Initiative spotlight series profiling progress stories related to water and our economy. It highlights the potential for water quality trading and other economic mechanisms to create a market designed to help prevent water pollution.
